An outgoing at-large city councillor in Thunder Bay, Ont., says she accepts the sanction recommended against her by the city’s integrity commissioner after she was found to have breached the Code of Conduct.
City manager John Collin filed a complaint about Coun. Rajni Agarwal in March, alleging that Agarwal “had engaged in an ongoing, inappropriate pattern of behaviour throughout this term of council directed at city staff.”
“The complaint included reference to a previous complaint that had been submitted by the former city manager, Norm Gale, on Aug. 16, 2023, that identified a similar pattern of behaviour towards city staff, showing that despite the previous complaint and the training that arose as a result of it, the councillor continues to engage in this pattern of behaviour,” says the report by Principles Integrity, which was prepared in August.
The investigation found that Agarwal’s behaviour “substantiates the claim of disrespect, intimidation, and abusive conduct in breach of the Code of Conduct.”
Rajni Agarwal lost her bid for re-election in the Oct. 26 municipal election in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Sarah Law/CBC)
The city’s outgoing council is expected to vote on the report’s recommendation to suspend Agarwal’s pay for a month at a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Agarwal, a real estate agent and developer, was first elected in 2022 but lost her bid to keep her seat in last week’s municipal election.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Agarwal said “I will be requesting that the resolution pass routinely without debate, questioning, or answering.”
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“Out of profound respect for both the outgoing council concluding its work and the incoming council preparing to take office, it is my firm belief that public resources and council hours are best preserved for the city’s forward transition.”
This marks the third time Agarwal has been investigated by the city’s integrity commissioner:
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In Sunday’s statement, Agarwal said that despite not being re-elected, she “will remain dedicated to driving our city’s economic growth, housing development, and community prosperity through private enterprise.”
“While my direct, fast-paced private-sector business style did not always align with the rigid bureaucratic processes of municipal administration, I am incredibly proud of my four years of fierce advocacy for the taxpayers of this city,” she wrote.
The new term of office for the 2026-2030 city council begins on Nov. 15.
